The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and plays home games in Veterans Memorial Park. It will create a bigger fan baseboth locally and across the nation. Connecting with his players is one of the things he loves most about coaching, so he is always picking at them, as he calls it. Less than 24 hours before her teams biggest series of the season began, Patty Gasso retreated to a quiet room at her house and clicked open a Zoom link. Offensively, were pretty strong one through nine, LaPorte said. Dubbed "Coaches + Mental Health: Creating Mentally Well Spaces in College Athletics," the webinar Wednesday evening was hosted by OU. LaPorte and JMU have renegotiated and extended her contract twice since she took over for Dean in 2017 on a one-year deal. Because I can tell you, the atmosphere was intense," LaPorte said with a laugh. She served an assistant coach for five years and was This isnt how you win, she thought. The Dukes will face No. Elkton native Mickey Dean, who preceded LaPorte at JMU, left the Dukes after the 2017 season for a $250,000 salary at Auburn. So I'm not really concerned with the Power Five and all that.". Its great to come home to this. Local weather delivered each morning to your inbox. JMU's not a stepping-stone for me," LaPorte said. Wake up. There will be a permanent void in our hearts and our hope is to live out her legacy and make her proud each and every day. I think the girls are kind of in awe," JMU coach Loren LaPorte said Monday night in a phone interview. Eat breakfast. Then, Bernett. After graduating, she spent the 2009 season as an assistant there before taking a similar position under Mickey Dean at Radford. that is degrading to another person. On Monday, April 25, she was named Colonial Athletic Association player of the week. But sometimes players get to the point where even that doesnt move the needle. Use the 'Report' link on Be Proactive. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S.National Suicide Prevention Lifelineat 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night. We talk to the girls all the time about being able to handle change and adversity, explained LaPorte, now in her fourth season running the Dukes program. Data about campus suicides is difficult to come by. Please meet.Harper Lyle LaPorte9/10/207.2 pounds19.5 inchesBorn at 6:55pm pic.twitter.com/Rm4AYwKnS0. "It's kind of cool to see their faces right now when they get to experience this. LaPorte and her husband, former Roanoke College basketball player Josh LaPorte, have a 5-year-old son and an 8-month-old daughter. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism I think its just finding joy in the small, little things, OSU ace Kelly Maxwell said. JMU currently lists capacity at the softball stadium at 625. Really sad, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said earlier this week as tears welled in his eyes. As an institution, were going to publicly acknowledge and use the energy thats been created by our softball program to benefit and showcase the entire university, Bourne said. Although JMU freshman right-handed pitcher Kylah Berry gave up two runs in the top of the first, senior first baseman Hannah Shifflett put the Dukes on the board swinging on the first pitch, homering to center field. Of the 18 head coaches at JMU, 6 are leaders of mens teams and 12 lead womens teams. The average salary of the mens team head coaches is $281,312, while the head coaches of womens team make, on average, $102,398 per year. Whiff. "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships", "JMU Softball beats Tennessee 3-1; Advances to Regional Final", "JMU Downs Liberty To Win Knoxville Regional", "OKC BOUND! It was fun to watch them have fun, not related to softball. "We've had a lot of talented teams [at JMU], but I think overall it takes more than talent to get to this point," LaPorte said. However, the Jed Foundation, a national nonprofit working to prevent suicides and improve emotional health of young people, indicates the challenges of mental health have grown steadily among college students during the past five years. Frankly, their mental health challenges can be exacerbated because they are athletes. James Madison University announced Monday it canceled the remainder of the softball season after the death of Lauren Bernett. As much as theyre trying to do all the right things, as coaches, we think we are, too, by, This is how you win.. That battle mentality speaks to the theme of this years team, never back down. The catcher had just been named Player of the Week by the Colonial Athletic Association. Our pitchers are going to be fresh, so were not going to need to use as many.. After serving as a Roanoke assistant, LaPorte was hired by then-Radford coach Mickey Dean in 2009 to be an assistant with the Highlanders. They left everything on the field; Odicci, Im in awe, said Alger, calling the team a class act. As many have fixated on whats been happening inside the lines at Marita Hynes Field during the Bedlam series, many in the college softball world are focusing on whats happening in the hearts and minds of players across the country. The James Madison softball team is the first Virginia team to make the Women's College World Series in 13 years. Eat lunch. 2 UCLA, 9:30 p.m. Mark Berman covers Virginia Tech mens basketball and many other teams at the university. JMU softball Factor finds time to simply sit on her couch and decompress for a while every day during the season. She served an assistant coach for five years and was elevated to head coach in September of 2017. Thats why Gasso wanted to do that webinar Wednesday evening. James Madison University said it will cancel the remainder of its softball season as the death of student athlete Lauren Bernett was ruled a suicide. Practice for three hours. Published: Apr. Our facilities are better than a lot of Power Five facilities, LaPorte said. Despite being a varsity program for fewer than 20 years, JMU Softball left no doubt that its one of the best in the nation. That made Gasso think about the daily routine of her players. But he doesnt wait for players to reach out to him. The Dukes won their first six games to open the 2021 season, the first two coming against Virginia and George Washington at the UVA Tournament. Thank you so much, JMU Nation. LaPorte, JMU President Jonathan R. Alger, SUMMARY: After making history in the Womens College World Series, the Dukes returned to campus as heroes and JMU legends. With four of the top nine ranked teams in CIF-Southern Section Division 2, three of which are ranked in the top 8 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, the local high school She led the Sooners in an activity where they split into small groups and shared how they were feeling. JMU softball receives warm welcome home from fans following historic WCWS run | Sports | breezejmu.org Skip to main content You have permission to edit this article. The past year has certainly had its fair share. When Dean took the head coaching job at JMU for the 2013 season, he convinced LaPorte to join him. They require an intervention. But a lawsuit filed last week by 24 members of the womens softball team and three coaches alleges that it was well-known on campus that the message was about them. Read "True Grit" here. JMU scored once in the bottom of the first. LaPorte acknowledged the impact the cancellation may have on graduating students whose careers have come to an abrupt conclusion, vowing the university will ensure theyre also honored for their contributions to JMU as student athletes. She pitched 26.2 innings during the shortened season, going 3-1 with 31 strikeouts. Thank you so much, JMU Nation., LaPorte, JMU President Jonathan R. Alger, Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne and a few softball stars all spoke at the event. Several hundred fans showed up to celebrate the teams historic achievement in Oklahoma City. Boseman and Bermudez joined the Dukes in 2020. It is extremely heartbreaking and alarming to see whats going on throughout the country, she said. They need professional help. softball 'Close your eyes and swing', The story behind OU softball players inviting opponents into postgame prayer circle, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The Cowgirls coach has a 24-7 open-door policy. Be Nice. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Their mental health is poor, and their outlook is bleak. She allowed two runs in four-plus innings. Share with Us. The Dukes were 13-6 in 2020 before the shutdown. Anybody up at-bat can get the job done. WebCoaching career James Madison. But he doesnt wait for players to reach out to him. We dont have much time throughout the day but we can celebrate the joyful things and the small things.. Make Yahoo Your Homepage. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and plays home games in Veterans Memorial Park. It was something our team and us as a staff had never experienced, but we had to go with it, LaPorte recalled. "It's just that mental approach you take with your program and not allowing them to feel like just because they're not in the Power Five they can't get it done. JMU (39-2) had fallen short in its first two appearances in the super regionals in 2016, when Megan Good and Bath County graduate Jailyn Ford were the team's stars, and in 2019. Don't Threaten. Along the way, they racked up more firsts: JMU became the first school not from a Power Five conference to reach the Womens College World Series since Louisiana achieved the feat in 2014. We will do whatever it takes to win. Low 41F. I hope it inspires more people to come to the university.". When I pick at you about your love life or your family or school or whatever it is, thats not me trying to be in your business more than you want me. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. The Cowgirls coach has a 24-7 open-door policy. It was definitely a lot to go through, Jubas said. Rebecca Muh, Grace Newell, Brittany Hook and Avery Pinder will join the Dukes on the field in the 2023 season. HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The following statement has been issued from the James Madison Softball coaching staff regarding the untimely death of catcher and sophomore Lauren Bernett: Finding the words to describe what our team is going through right now feels nearly impossible. Published Since last March, LaPorte has experienced a shutdown 19 games into the season, having a baby, a reduced schedule this season, and two games already canceled due to COVID-19. The James Madison Dukes softball team represents James Madison University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and plays home games in Veterans Memorial Park. JMU has won six CAA championships, including back-to-back Championships in 2016 and 2017. But as she listened to her players talk during Christensens session with them, Gasso had a realization. Will the three-time Colonial Athletic Association coach of the year be courted by a school from a major conference, as Dean was? LaPorte and her staff can choose to use that money for, among other things, recruiting costs or to pay for JMU to play in high-profile regular-season events. They require an intervention. That might be something a coach cant provide, but a coach can intervene if they know how. Discovery Company. But a COVID-19 breakout forced them to withdraw from the Liberty Tournament the following weekend. 0:02. At a time college softball has more parity than ever, it also has a favorite as clear as crystal, suicide of James Madison catcher Lauren Bernett, Wisconsin runner Sarah Shulze on April 13, Racing for foul balls? Threats of harming another Like Gasso, Gajewski asked one of the athletic departments psychologists to speak to his team recently. That made Gasso think about the daily routine of her players. LaPorte grew up in Northumberland County and her husband, Josh, is a Shenandoah Valley native from Staunton. In 2018, she signed an extension through 2022 that included an $80,000 base salary, a $5,000 raise from her initial contract. The team includes freshman Meredith Wells, a Lord Botetourt graduate who made three appearances in April. Webmessiclr@jmu.edu. Ive been shaken, thinking, What if I was the coach on the other side? "Pretty remarkable," LaPorte, 35, said. 1 play on ESPNs SportsCenter Top 10. James Madison University Softball Player Lauren Bernett Dies Tara Daniels, a diehard fan of the Oklahoma Sooners who lives in east Texas, showed up wearing purple, carrying a JMU sign and on a mission to get Alexanders autograph. LaPorte did her best to keep the players in a positive frame of mind during the long weeks and months that followed. Thats on par with some Power Five conference programs, but softball salaries can vary drastically. Bourne said campus wide, the school is working to capitalize on the exposure that has come from national television coverage of this springs postseason runs by the softball, lacrosse and football teams. Thats the sad part.. Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Clemson and West Virginia were also in the mix when it came to the youngster. Yes, this was a big week for her and her Sooners. On Sunday, April 24, she finished a monster weekend, going 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles in the series finale against Drexel. Less than 24 hours before her teams biggest series of the season began, Patty Gasso retreated to a quiet room at her house and clicked open a Zoom link. The past year has certainly had its fair share. Tahj Bullock and Devin Farrell elected to enter the transfer portal with the intent of continuing their college careers elsewhere. Some student-athletes came out to support their peers, including a handful of football Dukes. And we have to work in order to compete with the Power Fives.". In doing so, they became the first-ever unseeded team to start 20 in the WCWS and reach the semifinal games. Please allow us to introduce everyone to our newest little Duke!!! Last season, Bernett and her teammates shined when they made national headlines with the Dukes unexpected, first-ever run to the Womens College World Series national semifinals. JMU Softball (@jmusoftball) Instagram photos and videos I think they get frustrated early, he said. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Look at video. She worked primarily with the infielders until becoming head coach prior to the 2018 season, after Dean took over the Auburn program. All rights reserved. When you look at hosting, at least at where things are at this day and time on a national scale, we have to at least consider the lighting component. Having that family close by is very, very important for me and my husband and my two kids.. Many members of our team found comfort in knowing Lauren would always be there for them on a tough day. JMU Softball coaching staff release statement on Lauren Bernett, Campus Crisis line after hours: 540-568-6552, Sentara RMH Emergency Department: 540-689-1414, Mays full moon highlights this week up in the sky, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week, Counseling Centers Additional 24/7 Emergency Information. The James Madison softball team beat Missouri on Sunday to earn a berth in the Women's College World Series for the first time. Other resources include: The Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 1 overall seed Oklahoma (50-2), which won its fourth NCAA title in 2017, at noon Thursday to kick off the eight-team, double-elimination event. James Madison's Odicci Alexander helps carry Dukes to
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